Egg cleaning machine



April 7, 1959 hi. SCHNIDER ET,AL 2

EGG CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1956 v s Sheets-Sheet ,1

Lou/5 Sch/glide! Robert .L. Spin/dug INVENTOBS.

BY f7 ATTORNEYS P 19 59 L. M. SCHNIDER ETAL I 2,880,432

EGG CLEANING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1956 INVENTOR5.

ATTORNEYS.

April 7', 1959 L. M. SCHNIDER ET AL- EGG CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2,1956 S Sheets-Sheet 3 \ulll I a l ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent EGG CLEANING MACHINE Louis M. Schnider, Petaluma,and Robert L. Splchtig, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Application February 2, 1956, Serial No. 563,079

3 Claims. (Cl. 153.16)

This invention relates to an egg cleaning machine.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine whereby eggs may becleaned in a continuous operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an egg cleaning machineincluding means for rotating the eggs as they are engaged by boiling orcleaning wheels, and also including means whereby the eggs are turnedover end for end at an intermediate point in the cleaning operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail rear elevation of an egg cleaning machineconstructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail front elevation of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig.4.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale showing one of thebuffing wheels.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the egg supporting conveyor lugs.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a framestructure which includes upright legs 11 and 12 with a firm platform 13secured between the legs 11 and 12 and supported on horizontal cleats 14and 15. Upper longitudinal frame bars 16 are secured between the legs 11and 12 and connecting bars 17 and 18 are secured between the legs 11 and12. A horizontally disposed buffer shaft 19 is journaled in bearings 20and 21 and bearings 20 and 21 are carried by upstanding supports 22 and23 respectively. The buffer shaft 19 has fixedly secured thereon a pairof egg buffer wheels 24 and 25, and each wheel 24 and 25, as shown inFig. 7, is formed of a plurality of relatively large diameter fabricdiscs 26 which are mounted on the shaft 19 and the discs 26 havedisposed between each pair thereof small diameter fabric discs 27. Atthe end of each group of discs 26 making up a complete buffer wheel,there is disposed an end washer 28 and a collar 29 is mounted on theshaft 19 and secured in clamping position by means of a stud screw 30.There is a collar 29 at each end of each wheel 24 and 25. The two bufferwheels 24 and 25, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, are spaced apart attheir inner ends, thereby forming an egg-turning zone 31, as will behereinafter described. An endless conveyor belt 32 is trained aboutwheels or drums 33 and 34 and drum 33 is fixed to a drive shaft 35 onwhich a grooved pulley 36 is fixedly secured. A motor 37 is mounted onthe platform 13 and is connected through a gear reduction means 38 to apulley 39 about which a belt 40 engages. The belt 40 also engages aboutpulley 36. The belt or endless conveyor member 32 has secured thereto aplurality of egg supporting lugs, generally indicated at 41. Each lug 41is formed of a base 42 which is secured to the conveyor member 32 andbase 42 has extending rearwardly and upwardly or at right angles theretoa plate 43 having concave cut-out or seat 44 formed in the upper edgethereof. This seat 44 forms a saddle within which a portion of an egg isadapted to engage. A longitudinally disposed horizontal turning shaft 45is journaled in bearings 46 and 47 carried by the frame 10 in parallelrelation to and spaced outwardly from the conveyor 32. The shaft 45 hasmounted thereon a spirally wound rubber egg-turning member 48 which isadapted to engage that portion of the egg which projects through theseat or saddle 45 so as to effect a turning of the egg while engaged onthe seat or saddle 44. This turning of the egg is effected at the sametime that the surface of the egg is being buffed or cleaned by thebuffing wheels 24 and 25. A motor '49 is mounted on a bracket orsupporting member 50 extending from one end of frame 10 and the motor 49has a shaft 51 on which a groove pulley 52 is secured. Shaft 19 has agrooved pulley 53 secured thereon and a belt 54 engages the pulleys 52and 53. A counter shaft 55 is rotatably mounted in bearings carried by ahorizontal bracket arm 57 extending from one end of frame 10 and shaft55 has fixed thereon a relatively large grooved pulley 58 about whichthe belt 54 engages. The belt 54 thereby provides a driving means forshaft 19 and also for counter shaft 55. The large pulley 58 provides aspeed reduction means whereby shaft 55 is rotated at a speed less thanthe speed of rotation of shaft 19. A relatively small pulley 59 ismounted on shaft 55 and a grooved pulley 60 is mounted on shaft 45 witha belt 61 engaging about pulleys 59 and 60. In this manner egg-turningshaft 45 is rotated from motor 49 at a speed less than the speed ofrotation of buffer shaft 19.

At the discharge end of conveyor member 32 there is positioned a tray 62having a sponge rubber bottom 63 so that the eggs may be discharged fromthe upper run of the conveyor 32 onto the tray 62 without breaking theeggs.

In the use and operation of this machine the eggs are initially placedonto the lugs 41 at the right end of the machine shown in Figs. 2 and 6.The spirally ribbed eggturning member 48 will engage that portion ofeach egg projecting through the saddle or seat 44 so that the egg willbe rotated as the egg comes into contact with the first bufling wheel24. After the egg is moved to the left past the inner end of wheel 24into the egg-turning or upending zone 31 the egg will slip downwardlyonto the base 42 of the lug 41 and when the egg comes into contact withWheel 25 this wheel turning clockwise, and as viewed in Fig. 8 willupend the egg as shown in full lines in Fig. 8 so that the opposite endof the egg will be uppermost as the egg is moved by the conveyor alongthe length of the butting wheel 25. The width of base 42 is sufficientto accommodate the full length of the egg and the slippage from seat 44is so slight that the egg will normally remain on the lug. However anysuitable conventional stop means may be provided adjacent the gap formedby the zone 31. The eggs are normally initially placed on the conveyorwith the small end down. In the upending process with the egg lying flatthe large portion of the egg will serve as the fulcrum, so that the eggspass to the second buffer roller with the small end up. After the eggpasses the forward end of wheel 25 the egg is carried forward anddropped into the tray 62.

By driving a buffing wheel wherein the fabric discs are spaced apart bya small diameter disc the buffer discs 26 will not cake. up withvmaterial. as is. the. case where El e buffer wheels are made up entirelyof large diameter iscs.

The interposing. of: the small diameter discs 27 provides for relative.movement between the large diameter discs 26 as thebuflier wheels areturned. so that any foreign. material clinging thereto will. be knockedoff as the buffer wheel rotates.

What is-claimed is:

1. An egg cleaning; machine comprising a frame, a horizontal buffershaft. rotatably" carried by said frame, a-pair of buffer wheels fixedon said shaft with the confronting ends of. said wheels spaced apart toform an egg turning zone, an endless conveyor having upper and lowerruns disposed parallel with said wheels, means carried by said conveyor.for holding eggs in a position for contact with. said Wheels, saidholding means comprising; an. L-shaped. memberv having one side thereoffixedto said conveyor and the: other side extending rightangularly from.said conveyor, said other side of said L-shaped member having a: concavesaddle in the outer edge thereof constituting a seat. in which a portionof an egg is adapted to loosely engage, holding said egg insubstantially upright position, means for: rotating said shaft, meansfor moving said. conveyor, and means for rotating the eggs on said eggholding means.

2. An. egg cleaning machine comprising a frame, a horizontal. buffershaft rotatably carried by said frame, apair of buffer wheels fixed onsaid shaft with the confronting'ends of saidwheels spaced apart to formanegg turning zone, an endless conveyor. having upper and lower runsdisposed parallel with said wheels, means carried by said conveyor forholding eggs in a position for contact with said wheels, said holdingmeans comprising an L-shaped member having one side thereof fixed tosaid conveyor and the other side extending'rightangularly from saidconveyor, said other side of said L-shaped member having a concavesaddle in the outer edge thereof constituting a seat in which a portionof an egg is adapted to loosely engage, holding said egg insubstantially upright. position, means. for rotating said shaft, meansfor moving said conveyor, a second shaft rotatably carried by said frameparallel with the upper run of said conveyor, means for rotating saidsecond shaft, and a yieldable covering on said second shaft engageablewith the eggs on said holding means for rotating the eggs on saidholding means.

3. An egg cleaning machine comprising. a frame, a horizontal buffershaft rotatably carried by said frame, a pair of buifer wheels. fixed onsaid shaft with the confronting ends of said wheels spaced apart to forman egg turning zone, an endless conveyor having upper and lower runsdisposed parallel with said wheels, means carried by said conveyor forholding eggs in a position for contact with said wheels, said holdingmeans comprising an L-shaped member having one side thereof fixed tosaid conveyor and the other side extending rightangularly from saidconveyor, said: other side of said L-shaped member havingaconcave'saddle in the outer edge thereof constituting a seat in whicha' portion of an egg isadapted. to loosely engage, holding said egg insubstantially upright position, means for rotating said shaft, meansfor. moving: said conveyor, a second shaft rotatably carried by saidframe parallel. with. the upper run of. said conveyor, means: forrotating said second shaft, and a yieldable covering on said secondshaft engageablewith the eggs on said holding means for rotating theeggs on said. holding means, said covering being spirally disposed onsaid second shaft to form a spiral rib.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,976,380. Wilkinson Oct. 9, 1934 2,178,185 Nicholson Oct. 31, 19392,384,599 Case Sept. 11, 1945 2,566,475 Wright Sept. 4, 1951 2,603,039Slocum July 15, 1952 2,640,210 Zauner June 2, 1953

